The Saudi Pro League (SPL), also known as the Roshn Saudi League for sponsorship reasons, is the top professional football league in Saudi Arabia, recognized as the premier football competition in Asia. Established in 1976, it features 18 clubs competing in a round-robin format from August to May, with the champion earning a title and qualification for the AFC Champions League Elite, while the bottom three teams face relegation. The league has a rich history, evolving from regional tournaments and the King’s Cup to a fully professional system since 2007, with Al-Hilal holding a record 19 titles.
Since 2023, the SPL has gained global attention due to significant investments from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, which acquired 75% stakes in top clubs Al-Hilal, Al-Nassr, Al-Ittihad, and Al-Ahli as part of the Saudi Vision 2030 initiative. This financial backing has attracted world-class stars, starting with **Cristiano Ronaldo**, whose 2023 move to Al-Nassr sparked a “revolution” in Asian football. Other prominent players include **Neymar** (Al-Hilal), **Karim Benzema** (Al-Ittihad), **Sadio Mané** (Al-Nassr), **Riyad Mahrez** (Al-Ahli), **N’Golo Kanté** (Al-Ittihad), **Rúben Neves** (Al-Hilal), and **Allan Saint-Maximin** (Al-Ahli), significantly boosting the league’s profile.
The 2024-25 season saw Al-Ittihad as the reigning champions, with Al-Hilal dominating historically. Recent highlights include Al-Hilal’s unbeaten 2023-24 season and Ronaldo’s record-breaking 35 goals, earning him the Golden Boot. The league recorded 909 goals in 2023-24, a 40% increase from the previous season, reflecting its growing competitiveness. However, challenges remain, such as concerns over the league’s two-tier structure due to uneven investment and the reliance on veteran stars, with some like Benzema facing speculation about potential exits.
With passionate fan support, vibrant tifos, and increasing global broadcasts, the SPL aims to be among the world’s top leagues by 2030, leveraging its star power and infrastructure development ahead of the 2034 World Cup.
Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr have set their sights on a high-profile defensive addition as they look to lure Bayern Munich’s Kim Min-jae to Riyadh. According to reports from Foot Mercato, the Saudi Pro League side has entered negotiations with the German champions to explore the possibility of acquiring the South Korean international this summer.
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Joao Felix's move to Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr has sparked criticism from his former Atletico Madrid team-mate Saul Niguez, who claims that the Portuguese forward has failed to maximise his potential due to a lack of hard work. Saul insists talent is "worthless" without the work ethic to back it up, and has revealed that "many of us tried to help" Felix during his turbulent years in Europe.
Joao Felix has been warned by Jorge Jesus that he must 'prepare better' if he is to return to his peak form after an underwhelming debut for Al-Nassr.
Cristiano Ronaldo once again demonstrated his relentless drive on the pitch, helping Al-Nassr overturn a one-goal deficit to secure a 2-1 victory over French side Toulouse in a friendly held ahead of the new season. The match, played at Untersberg-Arena, saw the Saudi Pro League side show character and resolve, with Ronaldo leading from the front.
Cristiano Ronaldo continues to defy time and expectations as he marked his latest appearance for Al Nassr with a crucial goal, proving yet again that age is just a number. In a pre-season encounter against French side Toulouse FC at the Untersberg-Arena, the Portuguese icon demonstrated his enduring quality by notching the equalizer during the first half of the match.
Marseille forward Mason Greenwood is being tipped to leave this summer in a club record transfer amid interest from Saudi Arabia.
